After the opening days of an ICAC inquiry exposing internal strife in the New South Wales Liberals, the mood among Angus Taylor's colleagues is one of anxiety. The federal opposition leader is not a specific target of the operation, but he is the highest-profile person mentioned so far. Taylor has been named as a potential donor to the Reformers, a hard-right Liberal faction. He denies any payment. "No payment was made," Taylor said at a press conference. However, colleagues and political opponents deem his response insufficient. The inquiry is set to last more than seven weeks, and Taylor may not emerge unscathed. This was reported by infohub.kz.
There is no evidence that Taylor donated to the Reformers, only text messages suggesting payments were sought or received. The inquiry has raised risks for Taylor due to his close ties with Dallas McInerney, a key figure in the scandal. Liberals are surprised Taylor has not distanced himself from McInerney. The reform group's recruitment drives targeted federal seats, and if Taylor supported them, it could be seen as political treason. The inquiry continues with many questions unanswered.